Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Checking this senior dog's microchip led to a jaw-dropping discovery: this rescued pup had been missing for over a decade. Luckily, the family was thrilled to have her back.
When an elderly pooch was brought to Abandoned Pet Rescue, the shelter manager, Kara Starzyk, quickly figured out the pet had been missing for 12 years and called the registered owner.
"My first reaction was shock," Starzyk told Newsweek.
"Shocking that the owner answered and that she had been missing her for so long."
As it turned out, the dog named Sparkles had disappeared more than ten years ago – when her owner was just a seven-year-old kid.
Starzyk reached the now-adult woman's mother, Katie Boada.
"I was in utter disbelief. I actually thought it was fraud at first," Boada told the outlet.
This family is thrilled to have their dog back
A picture made all the difference.
"The moment she said Sparkles' name and sent me a picture, I knew instantly it was her. There was no doubt," Boada said
Boada immediately told her daughter, who rushed to the shelter to reunite with her childhood pet.
Boada and her daughter were both deeply touched.
"There's no better feeling than that. [...] It's like having your child back with you," the mom said.
Time has taken its toll on Sparkles: the senior dog is unfortunately sick and blind in one eye.
But all that doesn't matter to her family.
"It's a lot of work, but I signed up to love and care for her from the beginning, and I wouldn't change that for anything," Boada said.